Is what some states on the Gulf Side are doing… Out to 20 fathoms (which would open up a lot of fishing for us too)
http://www.sportfishingmag.com/blogs/top-shots/gulf-snapper-wars-escalate
How do we get the Governor to sign a similar bill in SC?
I am not sure how FL or any of the other gulf states can extend their own state waters unless they didn’t go out to their full nine miles to begin with. A state cannot just extend its waters to 20 fathoms. US Congress would have to pass legislation to do that. What Bonner’s bill proposes to do for the Gulf states is give them management jurisdiction over reef fish in 20 fathoms or less.
States’ territorial waters are set by the federal Submerged Lands Act. The management of reef fish in federal waters is set by the Magnuson-Stevens Act. What Bonner’s bill does is give those gulf states exclusive management jurisdiction over reef fish out to 20 fathoms (120ft). I would think our Congressmen should get on board with this bill and make it apply to southeastern states also. Would solve a lot of problems, but I can promise you the enviro’s will do everything possible with all their millions of dollars to block such a bill.
I will look into the FL legislation and figure out how that could work, but I suspect that they were just maximizing to their allowed 9 miles on the gulf side. The Submerged Lands Act gives states a maximum they can go out to, and maybe FL hadn’t gone out to that max yet. It’s 3 miles offshore for everywhere except gulf states, which got 9 miles offshore when the SLA passed in the 50’s. This was done so those states would get more oil drilling royalties.
Our state’s territorial waters go out to 1 league (3 miles) according to the SLA.
Texas and the gulf states can go out up to 3 leagues (9 miles) according to the SLA.
A state cannot superceed the SLA and go farther with its territorial lands, and a state cannot superceed the Magnuson-Stevens Act in terms of fishery management. That’s why Bonner’s bill is to amend the MSA and give his states in the gulf exclusive management over reef fisheries in 120ft and less.
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Luke 8:22-25
Very insightful document done by Florida Senate staff
http://archive.flsenate.gov/data/Publications/2008/Senate/reports/interim_reports/pdf/2008-142ju.pdf
www.scmarine.org
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Luke 8:22-25
Maybe y’all haven’t seen this yet? http://scstatehouse.gov/sess120_2013-2014/bills/3615.htm
I plan on using this model for every reef fish.
Stephen Goldfinch
“Sleep When You’re Dead!”
To bad it doesn’t state in it how messed up and corrupt the federal government is.
It’s 3 miles offshore for everywhere except gulf states, which got 9 miles offshore when the SLA passed in the 50’s.
Uhh, it’s Texas and Gulf coast Florida with 9 miles. LA, MS, and AL are 3 miles although LA thinks they can just ‘appropriate’ the other 6. The Federal snapper has already been shortened in the Gulf, look for more … [:0]
How much federal money goes into our artificial reef program?
Set the trap boys, we going to pass through them again!!